- Who We Are
- Our Programs
- Our mission is to empower families to gain access to decent, safe and affordable housing. This mission is fulfilled by partnering with families to become homeowners or improve the safety of their existing homes.
- Homebuyer
- Home Repair
- Almost Home
- Free Lead Remediation
- Rock the Block
- Global Support
- Construction Resources
- Homeowner Resources
- How You Can Help
- ReStore
A Look at 2025
Posted on January 8, 2026
A Look at 2025
At Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity, our mission is simple and powerful. We bring people together to build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. In 2025, we continued working alongside local families, volunteers, donors, and partners to create affordable homeownership opportunities, preserve existing homes, and strengthen neighborhoods across the Fox Cities.
From new home construction to home repairs, volunteer engagement, and ReStore growth, this year was filled with meaningful progress made possible by community support. Here’s a look at what we accomplished together in 2025.
In 2025…
Fox Cities Habitat reached a historic milestone by building 20 homes, the highest number of homes constructed in a year in our affiliate’s history. This record reflects the growing need for affordable housing in the Greater Fox Cities Area, and the power of community partnership in meeting that need. In addition to new home construction, 79 families were served through our Almost Home program, which is designed to help individuals and families prepare for successful homeownership. Alongside this work, 64 families received critical repairs through our Home Preservation programs (Home Repair Program, Rock the Block, Lead Safe Home Program), allowing them to remain safe in their home through affordable home repairs.
Our volunteers continue to be the backbone of our mission. In 2025, thousands of hours were dedicated to building and repairing homes, supporting the ReStore, and helping Habitat families move closer to stability and security.
Over 1,700 people volunteered for a collective 67,000+ hours of volunteering in 2025!
Over 350 of those people volunteered nearly 27,000 hours at the ReStore or other non-construction functions and over 1,500 people volunteered 40,000+ hours in construction.
Top Volunteer Companies of 2025
We are so grateful to have amazing companies bring their teams on site to volunteer with us and we’d like to give a special shoutout to these five who have shown outstanding commitment to supporting Fox Cities families in 2025, each contributing over 100 shifts and 750+ volunteer hours:
Boldt
Faith Technologies Inc.
J. J. Keller
Plexus
St. Joseph Catholic Church
Home Preservation and Neighborhood Impact
In addition to creating affordable homeownership opportunities, Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity offers a range of Home Preservation Programs that help families remain safely in their homes. These programs include Rock the Block, the Home Repair Program, and the Lead Safe Home Program.
In 2025, we proudly relaunched our Home Repair Program after a brief pause, reopening the door for families in need of critical repairs. Since July 2025, our team has been actively processing applications and completing affordable repairs that help homeowners stay safe, stable, and secure in the places they call home.
Alongside this work, the energy and impact of Rock the Block continued to shine as the 2025 event brought the community together in West Appleton. This beloved community-wide event brought together neighbors, volunteers, and partners to make visible, lasting improvements across an entire neighborhood in just three days. During Rock the Block West Appleton 2025:
15 homes were repaired
26 community projects were completed
300+ people came out to volunteer
1,200+ volunteer hours were served
Together, these Home Preservation efforts strengthened homes, uplifted neighborhoods, and demonstrated the power of community working side by side.
The ReStore’s Growing Impact
The Habitat ReStore plays a vital role in supporting our mission. Through the sale of donated home improvement items, furniture, and building materials, the ReStore generates funding that helps make affordable homeownership possible.
In 2025, the ReStore underwent several important updates. These included store design changes to better share Habitat’s mission with shoppers, improvements to back-of-house workflows for processing donations, and an upgraded recycling area to sort and recycle materials more efficiently.
These upgrades have already shown strong results. ReStore profits grew in 2025, which means even more funding was reinvested directly into Habitat programs and families across the Fox Cities
2025 Habitat Homebuyers: María and Eleazar
In September 2025, María and Eleazar received the keys to their Habitat home, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for their family.
With deep roots in Appleton, María and Eleazar knew this community was where they wanted to raise their children. After spending 12 years living with extended family, they dreamed of having a place of their own. Through the Fox Cities Habitat Homebuyer Program and encouragement from family, that dream became reality. Their new home will provided space to grow, create memories, and build long-term stability together.
“I want to take a moment to thank God, because if it wasn’t for his grace and mercy we wouldn’t be here. There are truly no words that can describe how thankful and happy we are. It’s been a great pleasure to have met and worked with so many wonderful people. I have nothing but words of gratitude for all of you guys. Thank you to every person that made this dream a reality. We will forever be grateful!!!”
-Maria
Looking Ahead to 2026
As we look toward the future, we are excited to continue building on this momentum. In 2026, we are aiming to:
- Build 20 homes
- Host Rock the Block in Menasha in May 2026
- Continue expanding access to affordable homeownership opportunities and homebuyer education
Thank you to everyone who made 2025 a success. Volunteers, donors, sponsors, homeowners, and community partners made this impact possible. Together, we are building more than homes. We are building futures.
While we celebrate all that was accomplished this year, we know the need for safe, affordable housing continues to grow. It takes a community to create lasting change, and we are excited to keep building together in 2026. There are many ways to be a part of the work ahead:
To Volunteer press here or the button above!
To Donate press here or the button above!